CHAPTER III
THE GRAYBEARD AND HIS SON
All night the Minstrel rode wildly towards the South Country, never looking behind him, never pausing to rest. The day was breaking when he reached the end of the mighty forest. There, on the slope of a barren mountain, the road divided into three paths, and at the end of each path he saw a small house with smoke rising from the chimney. And now his pain increased, and the blood began to pour anew from his deep wound.
Weak and weary, he turned boldly into the lowest pathway and drove his steed up to the little homestead.
“Hail, ho!” he cried; and a piping voice inside answered, “Hail, ho!”
The door was open, and the Minstrel saw a little child sitting on the hearth beside the blazing fire.
“Hail, ho!” he cried again; and the child laughed and said, “Welcome, stranger!” [[22]]
Wainamoinen sat upright in his sledge; his wound pained him; he was in much distress.
“Is there any one in this house that can heal the wounds of Iron?” he asked.
“No, no,” answered the child. “All gone but me. Drive away, big man! Drive away to some other house.”